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Free Efficient Lights - Public Agencies/Municipalities

LBE - Free Efficient Lights for Public Agencies and Municipalities

DOER's Leading by Example (LBE) Program and Green Communities Division, in partnership with Massachusetts electric utilities and Philips Lighting, were able to offer a year-end, no-cost high efficiency lighting program to over 100 public entities, resulting in significant reductions in energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Participating municipalities, state agencies, and state colleges and universities met a December 12, 2012 deadline for ordering an array of energy-saving lights provided free-of-charge through a joint program from Philips Lighting, NSTAR Electric Company (including Western Mass Electric Company), and National Grid. Under terms of the program, all bulbs will be installed by March 31, 2013 as replacements for less-efficient existing lights in public ways and facilities.

"We were pleased we could make this offer available - and doubly pleased at the number of communities, agencies and campuses that scrambled in December to take advantage of it," LBE Program Director Eric Friedman said. "Thanks to Philips Lighting, Massachusetts utilities, and quick action by the LBE staff, hundreds of public buildings received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bulbs at no cost, and – even more valuable – will continue to enjoy energy and cost savings over the lifetime of these highly-efficient products."

More than 80 municipalities and some 20 state agencies and public higher education entities participated, in total ordering more than 170,000 bulbs destined for over 400 separate facilities statewide. Proof of installation in public ways and facilities will occur through a combination of photographic reports and possible site inspections.

Efficient lights offered through the program included: the Philips L-prize 9.7 watt A-Lamp, which is equivalent to standard 60 - 75 watt incandescent bulbs scheduled to be phased out by federal regulation in 2014, as well as other LED lamps and high efficiency T8 linear fluorescent tubes. These high-efficiency lamps are projected to save over 6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, equivalent to the electricity use of 830 homes, and reduce energy bills by close to $1 million each year.